Fuse for projectiles



' w. L. LUKENS FUSE FOR PROJEGTILFS med Dec. 1'1. 192:

I 3 i Li,

III/

I projectile.

i i 'Patented Aug. 25,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE;

WILL'IAM L. LUKIENS, or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'ro BETHLEH M- -QVANIA,

srnnn COMPANY, or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYIF i FUSE FOR PBOJECTILES.

Application filed December 17, 1921. Serial No. 523,049.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, WILLIA): L. LUKENs,

a citizen of the United States, and residing at Bethlehem, Northampton County, State 5 of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fuses for Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fuses for projectiles and its object is to provide a fuse in which the detonating charge is carried by a movable part of the fuse and normally held out of register with the transn issionti ain or in such position that it will'not be e xploded in case of accidental ignition of the transmission, such detonating charge ibeing automatically movable into position to be exploded by the transmission train when the project-ileis fired. The term transmission train" as herein uscd will be understood tocomprise delay trains and flash transmission trains.

' In the drawings accompanying this speci ficat'ioii and forming a partthereof;

" Figure 1 is a section through the axis of the fuse showing the parts in armed position, that is, with the detonator in position to be ignited by the transmissiontrain, the particular'term illustrated being a delay train.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 9.Q of Figure lloolring forward in thedirection [Of thG arrows;

Figure?) is a similar section showing the detonator carrying block in unarmed position, that-is, 'outof'line or register with the delay train;

Figure 4 is a detailed section on the line "4-4 of Figure 2; and w I Figure Iris-a detailed section on line v.'35' OfFigure3. j o r Referring to the drawings indetail 10 indicates afuse stock. which. as shown, is threaded at 10 and adapted. to be screwed into a threaded. opening' in the base ofa v The fuse stock is provided with a central cavity in which'is mounted various parts the opening 13 is in the axial ce'ntgrof the st no In the base of the fuse stock there is a movable plunger 14 carrying a firing pin 15. The plunger may be of any approved type adapted to move forward on impact of the projectile and cause the firing pin to detonate the primer heretofore mentioned. The plunger is normally held in a rearward 1 position by a restraining spring 18'. A17 though the firing pin 15 is shown in them? drawings in its armed position, it will be understood that it is normally disarmed. Any well known means may be usedvto cause the firing pin to move from its disarnied to armed position on firing of the projectile, for example the arrangement disclose/din the Patent No. 1,397,855, dated November 7 :22, 1921. ASSIIOWD, the plunger housing consists of a cylindrical block 17 providedwith a. threaded flange 18 for engaging si1ni lar threads on the-stock. The frontend of the plunger housing is formed by a plate 19, the restraining spring 16' being arranged I between this plate and a shoulder on the; plunger. i i M 89 A member 20 is fixedly mounted in the cavity of the fuse stock in front of the cyiacentral cavity in which a smaller block or member 21 is rigidly secured, the mem l her 21 being arranged in front of'tlie plate' 19 heretofore mentioned. The member or block 21 is provided with a circuitous pas; sage or channel 22 for receiving a delay 7 train, this passage being formed in any Q suitable manner. As shown it is produced by boring lateral and longitudinalchannelsv in the. member 21, the ends of which channels are closed by suitable plugs 23. The member .20 is provided'with a channel or recess 22 which forms a continuation of; the channel 22 in the member 21. The plate 19 in line with the firing pin 15 is provided with an opening 24 wliichis adapted to receive a primer 25. The open ing 94 communicates with the passage 2:2 heretofore mentioned. An opening 9.61s provided centrally of the member 20 which opening communicates with a portion 22 of the channel 22. I A detonator carrying block' 27 is pivotally mounted in front of the member" 20, this block being eccentric'ally arranged in fuse stock.

the cavityof the fuse stock and mounted on a pivot pin '28 secured in the partition 12 of the stock. The block 2" normally occupies the position shown in Figure 3 with 5 its free .end against a pin 2-9 mounted in the partition 12. It is held in this position 'ieldi'ngly by a plunger 30 which is earned by the detonator bloclrand pressed by a springB-l against the wall of the cavity of the The block 27 is further held in the position shown in Figure 3 by a spring pressed locking pin 32 which bears against the partition 12 as shown in Figure 5, the pin 32 being adapted to enter 'a 1 recess 33 111 the partition 12 as illustrated vin Figure 4 and lock the block 27 in the position shown in Figure-2. The block 27 carries a detonator or detonator charge 34. \Yhen the block 27 is in its normal or unarmed position, shown in Figure 3, the detonator 34 is held out of line or register with the opening 13 m the partition 1:2 and the opening 2Gv in the member 20. 'hen' the block 27 is moved to the armed position as shown in Figure 2 it will be understood that the dctonator charge 1- occupies the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, that is, at such time the deton'ator charge will be in line or register with the delay train- 22, 22-1 and the opening 13 communicating with the booster charge in the chamber 11.-

It will be understood that when the parts are in the unarmed position shown in F igure 3 accidental ignition ot' the transmission train by the primer 25 will not explode the detonator 34 because the detonator is not in register with the transmission train passage. When the projectile is fired from the gun the rotation of the same will cause the block 27 to move b r centrifugal force 7 fintothe armed position shown inFigures the booster charge inthe chamber-11 The- .booster charge, as-is well known, ignites T the bursting charge of the projectile.

v, The. detonator block 27 may obviously 'be shaped invarious ways but the form shown in-the drawings is preferred. It will be noted that in this form one side of the block is arc-shaped and of the same radius as the cav1t v of the ruse stock. This fol-man tion gives the detonator block a large bearmg surface to resist impact when the block s thrown. to the position shown in Figure 1 55 as the projectile leaves the gun.

Having thus described the inrention what- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :v p

1., In a fuse for projectiles, the combina-' tion with a fuse stock and a plunger provided with a firing pin, of a transmission train arranged in said stock and having at one end a primer seatin line with said firing pin, an eccentric memberpivotally mountedv in said stock about anaxis which iseccentrio to and parallel with the axis of said stock, said eccentric member being disposed in front of said transmlssion tram, a detonator'.

carried by the eccentric member, and means for normally holding said eccentric member in position to maintain the detonator out of registry with the transmission train and the" mass of said member being effective under the influence of centrifugal force due to rotation of the pro ect1l e to bring the detonator into registry with said transmission train.

2. In a fuse for projectiles, theic ombina I 1 tion with afuse stock having a cavity and plunger located in the rear of the cavits and provided with a firing pin, of a member fixr edlf: mounted in said cavity in front of said plunger and having'a transmission passage extending from the rear to the front thereof. a primer seat arranged atthe rear end of said passage inline with saidpi centric member pivotally mounted in saidf' cavity in front of said fixed member and about an axis which is eccentrlc to and parallel with the axis of the fuse stock, a detona-- tor carried by said member, and means for" biasing said member to a position to maintain said det'onator out of line with the front I end of said transmission train passage, themass'of said eccentric member being efi'ective under the influence of centrifugal force due to rotation of the projectile to move the member in order to bring the detonator into line Wltil said passage.

3. In a fuse for prcqectrles, m combinw t-ion. a fuse stock having a chamber adapted to receive a booster charge and also havingl a cavity. said chamber having an opening connnunicating with said cavity, an. eccen tric member pivotally mounted in the front;

art of said cavity about an axis which'isjeccentric to and parallel with the axis of the fuse stock, a detonator for thebooster charge carried by said eccentrremember amember fixedly mounted in said, cavitygat' the rear of said eccentric memberiand having a transi'nission passage extending ther through from tllQJfGZlP-tO the front thereof,

means for yielding-l3 holding said eccentric member Ill position to normally maintain said detonator out of line with said opening and with the front end of said trans mission train passage and the mass of said eccentric member being effective under tlie mfiaence of centrifugal force due tq r t tion of the projectile to cause said eccentric member to move about its axis to bring the detonator into registry with said opening and passage, and means to ignite the transmission train in said passage when movenormally holding the eccentric member in unarmed position and the mass thereof being effective under the influence of centrifugal force due to rotation of the projectile to bring the detonator into registry with said transmission train passage, and means for igniting the transmission train in said passage when movement of the projectile is 1 suddenly arrested.

Y movementof the 5. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination with a fuse stock having a cavity, of an eccentric member p'ivota-lly mounted therein about an axis which is eccentric to and parallel with the axis of the fuse stock, a detonat-or carried by the eccentric member, means fixedly mounted in said stock and having a passage for receiving a transmission train, means for normally holding sa d eccentric men'iber in unarmed position and the mass thereof being effective under the influence of centrifugal force duefto rotation of the projectilc to bring the detonator into registry with said transmission train passage, means for locking said eccentric member in the lastnamed position, and means for ignitingthe transmission train in said passage when projectile is suddenly arrested.

ii. In a fuse, the combination of'a fuse body having a booster charge and a trans- ,ITIISSIOH train therein, the booster charge and the transmission train having opposed and spaced terminal portions, a movable detonator adapted to be brought into alignment with said opposed terminal portions, a primer for the other terminal portion of the transmission tain, and a'striking pin for the primer. I I v 7. In a fuse, the combination of a fuse body having a booster charge at its forward end and a transmission train arranged intermcdiatelyvthereof, the. booster charge and the transmission train having opposed and spaced terminal portions, :1. member movable transversely of the axis of the fuse body under the influence of centrifugal force due to rotation of the PIOJQCtllG. a detonator carried by said member and adapted to be brought into registration with the opposed terminal portions of the booster charge and of the transmission train when said member 65. g

8. In a fuse, the combination of a fuse body having a booster charge at one end portion and an intermediate transmission train I charge, the booster charge and the transmission, train. charge having opposed and spaced terminal portions, a member movable between the terminal portions and adapted to he interposed therebctween in all positions thereof. a detonat r carried by the member and adapted to be brought into alignment with said terminal portions in one posit on of said member, means for biasing the memher in a direction to hold the detonator out of registration with said opposed terminal portions and said member being responsive to centrifugal force due to rotation of the projectile to bring the detonator into registration with said terminal portions, means for locking said member against movement when the de onate! is in registering position, a primer for the other terminal portion of the transmission train charge, a plunger disposed reurwardly of the transmission train charge and capable of axial movement with respect to the fuse body, and a firingpin carried by the for and end ofthe plunger. whereby. upon impact of the projcctile, the plunger moves forwardly to impinge the firing pin against the primer.

9. In a. fuse. the combination of a fuse body having booster'and transmission train charges with opposed and spaced terminal and resilient means cooperating with the plnnger and serving to r-esistinovementof the firing pin toward theprimer.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature;

WILLIAM L. LUKENS. 

